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Raza y Etnicidad: How Tejanos in College Navigate the Hyphen in Mexican-American

You are being invited to take part in this research study because you are a student at Texas State University-San Marcos who has been identified as being between the ages of 18-22, identify as having one parent of Mexican or Mexican-American ancestry, were born in Texas and identify as Tejano. This study is being conducted by the University of Vermont.

We encourage you to ask questions and take the opportunity to discuss the study with anybody you think can help you make this decision.

Why is This Research Study Being Conducted?

This research is being conducted to examine how college students of Mexican or Mexican-American descent who were born in and live a majority of their lives in Texas (Tejanos) develop their concepts about themselves, their view of the world, of their college experience and how they think about race and ethnicity particularly. As a first generation college student and researcher who identifies as of Mexican-American descent and who grew up in Texas, I want to examine the experience of other Tejanos who may have had a similar experience as I have had. I believe that these findings can lead to creating ways to ensure a better college experience for Tejano students -- from recruitment through graduation and beyond.

How Many People Will Take Part In The Study?

Eight to ten 18-22 year old students at Texas State University-San Marcos have been selected to take part in this study.

What Is Involved In The Study?

You have already filled out a questionnaire. The study also includes one interview, which will take about an hour, and one group meeting in which I will report back to you major themes that emerged from all the interviews and ask the group to reflect on whether those make sense, seem right, what might be missing, and any other additional thoughts.

What Are The Risks and Discomforts Of The Study?

Risks may include the inadvertent release of information from the researcher. However, every effort will be taken to maintain confidentiality of your record. You may have thoughts and feelings that make you uncomfortable as you process the questions during or after the interview. Services are available to you through the Counseling Center if you would like support They are located at the Student Center Room 5-4.1 and can be reached at 512-245-2208, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

What Are The Benefits of Participating In The Study?

There may be no direct benefit to you for your participation. This study will yield valuable information that may add insight to overall ethnoracial identity developmental models, as well as how information is gathered on racial and ethnic identity. Finally, it may help people in colleges and universities to think about how to serve the Tejanos student better.

Are There Any Costs?

There are no costs associated with this study.

What Is the Compensation?

There is no monetary compensation for participation in this study.

Can You Withdraw or Be Withdrawn From This Study?

You may discontinue your participation in this study at any time. There are no consequences for discontinuing this study and will in no way impact your relationship with anyone at Texas State University-San Marcos.

If you choose to discontinue your participation in this study, please send a signed letter or email asking that you be removed from the study. Any material associated with you will be destroyed.

What About Confidentiality?

If you choose to participate, you will be given a pseudonym for the remainder of the study. At no point will anyone at the institution directly know if you are participating. In addition any references to the institution or people at the institution will be changed so that they can in no way be identified.

A record of all field notes and observations will be kept in a locked, unmarked filing cabinet at the University of Vermont. All electronic recordings and notes will be kept in a private password protected electronic folder. The results of this study may eventually be published or presented at a conference but participant confidentiality will be maintained and all identifiers of the institution will be removed.

Contact Information

You may contact Tomás Sanchez, the primary investigator in charge of this study, at (802) 578-4399 or tsanchez@uvm.edu for more information about this study. If you have any questions about your rights as a participant in a research project or for more information on how to proceed should you believe that you have been injured as a result of your participation in this study you should contact Nancy Stalnaker, the Director of the Research Protections Office at the University of Vermont at 802-656-5040.

Thank you for agreeing to particpate in this questionnaire. The questionnaire will take approximately 10-15 minutes and will include questions that collect demographic data and act as preparation for the interview, if you decide to particpate.The responses to the questions may also help reshape the semi-structured interview questions.